


Prank War

by KatsuraNa



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Metaverse (Persona 5), Alternate Universe - No Phantom Thieves of Hearts (Persona 5), Ann Ryuji and Shiho are dating, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Persona 5 Protagonist & Sakura Futaba Are Siblings, Pet Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, akira and goro have a war, goro gets a dog, goroann friendship, soft goro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28950498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatsuraNa/pseuds/KatsuraNa
Summary: Instead of meeting and becoming rivals destined to kill one another, Goro and Akira meet in a universe with no metaverse and no personas. With no looming threat over them, they become friends… Sort of. In all universes, they must be rivals, and this rivalry took the form of a flirty prank war. See how their pranks led to their happy ending.And a dog.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 3
Kudos: 65
Collections: Goro Big Bang 2020





	Prank War

**Author's Note:**

> This has been months of work, but here we are! Welcome to my piece for the Goro Big Bang! It’s been exciting working with everyone, and the artists I was paired with have made some amazing work! (I’ll link them after they get posted ofc)  
> I hope you all enjoy this, it’s my first try at a soft, romantic comedy.  
> Also, praise be to dogs and cats everywhere.

_Present: February_

Goro Akechi’s life had changed immensely since June. For better or worse, he wasn’t quite sure. What he _was_ sure of was that somehow Akira-freaking-Kurusu had gotten into his apartment, and added hair dye to his shampoo. 

As he stared at his reflection in the mirror, pink hair reflected back at him. He could only stare in shock. A hundred thoughts ran through his head: _how the hell did he get in?_ and _I have an interview today, what do I do?!_

Unfortunately for him, the only person he could go to for help was the person who had caused his bad hair day in the first place. He would rather be found dead before he admitted to any of the others what had happened, and hopefully Akira had a quick way to reverse this. He had to hope he was lucky today, sometimes Akira didn’t plan out his pranks.

Picking up his phone and dialing his first speeddial, he emptied his shampoo bottle lest he accidentally use it again.

“ _Good_ morning, _honey!_ ” 

“‘Kira please, for the love of God, _tell me you have dye remover_.”

“ _Hmm? Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. What are you gonna do for it, babe?_ ” 

“I have an interview today, Kira, _come on_.” 

“Oh shit- _I’ll be right over!_ ” Akira hung up, and Akechi sighed, catching himself smiling at the worry in his voice. Their pranks might be extreme, but Akira never meant any harm to him, which is why Goro could deal with his childish boyfriend. He found his thoughts wandering again as he sat on the couch, waiting for Akira. 

When their prank war started back in June, he never expected his rival would become his boyfriend as well. He remembered hating this childish boy’s guts, only going along with the prank war to try and one-up him. He doesn’t remember when exactly the war shifted from _hatred_ to _flirting_ , but he was forever grateful it did.

He pulled out his phone to call his manager. Perhaps he could delay the interview a bit so Akira had enough time to help him. Instead, he found himself staring at his reflection again, actually taking in the ridiculousness of this situation. Now that his shock and anger had died down, he giggled at how silly he looked. The giggling turned into laughter. God, he looked absolutely _hilarious_. 

Months ago, he would’ve been seething in anger at a prank like this. He might have even screamed at Akira. Now, knowing his boyfriend was just being silly and didn’t mean any harm, he could let himself relax. He could appreciate how funny this was. He couldn’t stop laughing. Every time he saw his head with that pastel hair colour, he burst into more laughter.

And that’s how Akira found him: tears running down his face from laughing at himself. 

Akira was knocking on the door for a minute or so, his worry growing as Goro failed to answer. Luckily, his boyfriend was too busy laughing to acknowledge him.

Goro was finally calming down when his boyfriend emerged in front of him, a wide smile on his face. “Sorry… aha... Can you help me out, now?” 

An empty pause passed between them, and Goro tilted his head in confusion. As he cleared the tears from his eyes, Akira stared at him with a small blush on his face, almost as if he was… admiring him? He flushed red under Akira’s gaze, moving some hair behind his ear out of nervousness. 

“Kira..?”

The nickname broke Akira from his trance apparently, shaking his head and stumbling over his words. Seeing his rarely-phased boyfriend flustered like this sent Goro into more laughter. Maybe he could skip the interview and spend the day with this boy… that sounded much more appealing.

“Sorry! You just… you look so pretty when you smile like that. Even more so when you’re laughing!” 

He was apparently finally able to form a coherent thought that made Goro the flustered one this time. In an attempt to save face, Goro threw a pillow at Akira, hitting him upside the head.

“Shut up already and fix my hair! You can flirt after my interview, you imbecile!”

“Right! Sorry, sorry...”

Red and flustered, Goro soon found himself in the bathroom while Akira started on the dye-stripping process. He seemed to know what he was doing, so Goro let his mind wander, relaxing with Akira’s hands in his hair. He found himself thinking of one of their first pranks. It was probably what started their little rivalry: Goro never could leave things be...

_Past: August_

Goro was over in Leblanc on a single mission: to see his prank to fruition. He had asked Kurusu’s red-headed sister for an extra key to Leblanc so he could mess around without anyone knowing. She agreed on one condition: she could use her cameras to watch him every step of the way. Alright, fair enough.

Kurusu was supposedly at a friend's house -- the blonde one, _Sakamoto,_ if he recalled correctly? That gave Goro as much time as he needed to switch everything around without being caught. He found himself giggling a bit, but stopped short of laughter when he remembered Sakura-chan was watching.

He got to work quickly. He didn’t need to be here any longer than necessary -- he still wanted some sleep tonight, after all. He went behind the counter, finding the ingredient necessary for his mischievous idea. No, he wouldn’t be cooking anything. Rather, he planned on switching some ingredients around.

The obvious idea was switching salt and sugar. They looked similar enough that an amateur chef like Kurusu wouldn't be able to spot the difference without tasting them. At the same time, though, he felt just one switch wouldn't be enough. He was here in the middle of the night, might as well go all out!

Goro looked through the spices. He knew where they were kept thanks to watching Kurusu cook curry almost every day. If anyone asked, he’d deny watching him as he cooked, but in the safety of his own mind he could admit the truth. Kurusu looked wonderful when he was focused on making a perfect batch of curry or the perfect cup of coffee. His eyes shone behind his glasses when his cooking was praised, and it made Goro revere him even more. To see those eyes light up and make him genuinely smile, let down his mask for a moment...

He shook his head. Now was not the time for that! He had a mission here! As soon as he got his gay thoughts under control, he went back to digging through the spices. He looked at all the names and felt his mind black out. He had no idea what… any of this was. His idea of cooking was heating up ready-made meals or making ramen. He didn’t know what any of these spices tasted like. 

Back-up plan it was, then. He opened each container and looked at them. Okay... maybe he could switch them around based on how they looked? 

He spent a good ten minutes looking at each spice and switching it with another that looked similar. By the time he was done, even Goro wasn’t sure which was which anymore. 

Not that he knew in the first place, but that wasn’t the point! 

Now what else could he do… He still felt this wasn’t enough. He wanted to get his point across in one single prank, that Kurusu’s childishness would not be tolerated! No matter how handsome… or attractive he was...

Goro shook his head. This was getting ridiculous. He needed to stay focused. He went digging through the part of the kitchen he hadn’t touched yet: the coffee beans. Like the spices, he didn’t know anything about them, but they all looked similar. He could switch them around like he did with the spices. 

Another ten minutes later, and Goro’s self imposed mission was a success. At least, _step one_ was. Now all he had to do was come by the next day for his usual cup of coffee and plate of curry. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Kurusu’s face when he tasted the curry!

His plan… did not go as well as he had hoped. 

It started off fine. Goro came by the next day and sat at his usual spot at the counter. Before he could even open his mouth, Kurusu was already making his curry and coffee, his eyes dazzling as he focused on his work. If Goro wasn’t here on a mission, he’d let himself get lost in those eyes… again. 

For now, he watched as Kurusu grabbed containers he knew held the wrong ingredients, having trouble keeping his laughter to himself. Soon enough, he had a cup and plate in front of him. He gave his usual polite smile, pretending to take a sip as Kurusu turned his back to clean up. 

He cleared his throat to get Kurusu’s attention after a moment. This was the moment he had been waiting for. 

“Kurusu-kun… forgive me, but I think this tastes a little _off_ today. Would you mind trying it?” 

Goro didn’t have a backup plan if Kurusu had refused, but luckily he didn’t have to worry about that. Kurusu immediately seemed worried and approached before Goro had even finished his sentence. 

“Are you sure? Shit, yeah let me try it.” 

Okay, _maybe_ insulting his cooking was not the best move, Kurusu seemed a little hurt by it. Hopefully he’ll realize it’s just a prank soon, right?

He did. Kurusu took a bite and immediately gagged, taking a few steps back to cough and try to calm down it seemed. Goro laughed, the look on Akira’s face was too much.

“You-! When did you even have time to switch all the ingredients around!?”

“I had a bit of help from that sister of yours. She was quite eager to help mess with you.”

“That… yeah, that makes sense actually.” Goro found himself impressed yet again. One taste and Kurusu was able to figure out what he had done. That was fine though. He’d succeeded in what he’d set out to do. He even offered to help correct the mess he made, of course. 

At least he would have, had Sojiro Sakura not walked in. Sojiro was followed by a pompous customer who sat in a booth like he owned the place. 

_Oh no._

_Oh nonono no!_

This was not part of the plan! He was supposed to mess with Kurusu, then help clean up the mess before any more customers came in. 

Boss was already preparing a plate of curry from Kurusu’s batch. Goro wasn’t sure how to react, how to stop this from happening. By the time he had processed the current scene, Sojiro had already served the customer the curry. 

_Oh, hell no._ Goro got up to leave. Maybe he could escape this disaster unscathed if he left right now--

Too late.

The customer took one bite, and his eyes immediately started watering. He was coughing, sputtering nonsense that sounded like harsh words. Goro had expected the curry to taste terrible, so he had only taken a small bite. Barely even tasted it really. And Kurusu, taking Goro’s word, had also only tasted enough to determine if it was as bad as he said. 

The poor customer had not. He took a giant bite, expecting the delicious curry Kurusu or Boss had always made. He was regretting that decision now, as Goro could hear him retching into the bathroom he had run into. By the time he had cleared his stomach of the wretched curry, he was already fleeing the cafe and yelling… something about a nasty review.

Goro wasn’t listening anymore,however, just frozen in his spot. This was not what he planned.

Kurusu explained what had happened to Boss and was sent to clean up, before Sojiro approached Goro. He was expecting to be scolded, kicked out, told never to come back. 

He was not expecting for Boss to pat him on the back and sigh, an exhausted look on his face. 

“Kid, I don’t mind your flirtatious _prank war_ or whatever it is, but don’t let another gesture mess with the store, okay?” What? 

Flirtatious? No no… this wasn’t _flirting_. This was about making a point! Proving he wouldn’t deal with this childish boy, prove he was better. He would win! This wasn’t about that boy’s shining eyes or pretty face. Or how excited he got when his pranks were a success. Or how pretty his laugh was when he was on the other side of a prank. Or even about how Goro got excited when planning a prank. Or how _happy_ he felt just to see Kurusu smile genuinely, dropping his mask just for Goro.

_Oh no._

_Present: February_

Remembering his state of brief panic sent Goro into another mini laughing fit, seemingly out of nowhere. Akira looked down at Goro in disbelief, concern crossing his brow, but Goro waved his hand and leaned back into his seat. “My apologies. I was remembering the incident I caused at Leblanc months ago.” 

“I remember that! It took hours to clean up, babe. You’re lucky I love you.”

“Now that I think about it, that incident was what made me aware of my feelings for you. So yes, I am quite lucky, Akira Kurusu.”

He was just speaking his mind, that was all. He felt safe here alone with Akira. Saying whatever he felt came easy to him -- much easier than it used to. That being said, he wasn’t expecting his thoughts to make his boyfriend all flustered. 

Akira was _cute_ when he went all red. He usually kept a cool facade, necessary when he was on probation after all. But just like Goro, when they were alone, he let it drop a bit. He pulled at his curls when he got nervous, pushed up his glasses as if they were a mask to hide his blush. He stuttered over his words, for once not knowing what to say. It made Goro feel proud of himself for being able to make Akira like this, and made him feel fuzzy inside, happy that Akira trusted him this much.

While they waited for the dye strip to do its job, Goro pulled Akira into the chair with him, crawling into his lap. That was the most comfortable place to sit after all. This was routine by now as well. Goro would climb into Akira’s lap, because he felt safe and secure like that, and Akira would wrap his arms around his waist, just holding him close as an act of comfort, for both of them.

He might’ve been oblivious of his feelings for so long, but he eventually figured it out. He couldn’t be happier. He hoped Akira felt the same, and based on the serene smile on his face as he held Goro, he could assume he did. 

That smile... If he could make Akira smile like that, he should make sure to tell him his feelings more often. Anything for that smile.

“Hey… Akira?” 

“Hm?” His inquisitive hum sounded more like a purr, he really was adorable like this. Goro loved him so much.

“I love you.” 

“Ah- I uh- I mean… I love you too.”

There was that flustered, excited smile again. Goro smiled proudly to himself, that went even better than planned. He giggled, and settled himself nicely in Akira’s arms, grabbing his phone and making a spur of the moment decision. He would only be a teenager once, and would only experience his _first love_ once Goro sent a text to his manager, cancelling tomorrow morning’s interview. Or, at least, he made it clear he would not be showing up. 

“Goro, please-”

“Shut up you, and hold me.”

“I can’t exactly say no to that... But maybe get comfortable after we wash this out of your hair. Come on.”

He’d deny the whine that came from his mouth as Akira forced him to get up. He was comfortable dammit! He trudged over to the bathroom, pouting at Akira as he started washing his hair. He knew they needed to fix his hair color, but he wanted to be held by his boyfriend. So sue him.

At least he had Akira’s hands in his hair again, a soft hum falling from Goro’s lips as he made himself comfortable. He could (begrudgingly) deal with this for a few minutes. He had cuddles to look forward to after all. 

Akira let out a concerned sound, almost like a small squeak falling from his lips, and before Goro could ask what was wrong, he was pulled into a towel. He laughed as Akira ruffled his hair through the towel as though he was petting a dog. Goro rolled his eyes. After a moment, he peeked out from under the towel, giving little puppy dog eyes. 

“Akiraaa,” he drawled. “Let me see already! Quit hiding it!”

“I- okay but just so you know, I can fix this. Probably. Maybe.”

“Akira, what the hell did you do this time?”

Goro turned to look into the mirror. He blinked. Words wouldn’t form in his mouth. He couldn’t think clearly. 

It was better than the pink but... This was absolutely _not_ what he was expecting to see after washing his hair

His hair had gone from its natural chestnut color, to pastel pink... to bleach blonde. 

He didn’t look bad per se, but he wouldn’t say he was _happy_ with this result. 

“Akira, what the hell-”

“You’re the one who demanded I hold you, babe. I told you it only took twenty-ish minutes.”

An embarrassed flush heated his cheeks. Well, if the result from extra boyfriend cuddles was blonde hair, he supposed he could deal with it. 

It was amazing how many things he realized he could put up with after he accepted his feelings for Akira. Every day really was an adventure with him..and he couldn’t deny he looked forward to it.

_Past: October_

Goro hated Halloween. He never had a chance to celebrate it as a child. That was who this holiday was for: children. He remembered being jealous, watching other kids run around gathering enough candy to get a stomach ache, never able to go since his mom always had to work. 

She wouldn’t allow him to go out unattended at such a young age. And yet, even after she was gone, he never had a chance to appreciate the joys of trick or treating. His foster families either wouldn’t let him go or flat-out didn’t celebrate it. By the time he was old enough to be on his own, he had passed the age deemed acceptable for celebrating Halloween... so he never did. 

Despite his own feelings about the holiday(that it was for children and frankly, a little dumb) he now found himself getting dressed in a costume for a party. He added the final touches to his outfit, a cape befitting the vampire he was dressed as. He caught himself smiling a bit in the mirror. He wondered if his mom was happy with him, going to a party with friends (actual friends!), alongside the boy he had accepted he had fallen for. 

He was sure she was smiling down at him, probably telling him to hurry and confess already so her little boy could be happy. He was already happy though. A boyfriend could wait until after he had plenty of candy and apple cider. 

Off he went, dressed as a vampire king, to a Halloween party at Leblanc Akira and Futaba were hosting. With those two in charge, he should honestly suspect something crazy might happen, but he decided to focus on having fun for now, maybe even letting himself relax a bit for once. 

The bubbling anxiety he’d been ignoring while he dressed returned as he arrived at Leblanc’s door. He was close to Akira and Futaba, and he talked often with Ann, but spending time with everyone always made him nervous. 

Turns out, he didn’t have much to worry about. Everyone was excited he had showed up, Ann even running up to hug him while her witch hat bounced. He found himself smiling and hugging back, it felt nice to see someone so excited to see him. It was like having a sister. 

He looked around at everyone as they returned to what they were doing before. They were enjoying candy and sweets, and... were they bobbing for apples over there in the corner? His friends were weird.

_Friends..._

Everyone’s costumes were interesting -- all so unique. And, if he was freaking out about Futaba’s Green Featherman costume on the inside? Well, that was his business. Based on the smirk coming from the little gremlin though, she knew. She always knew. 

After acknowledging the two people he actually _liked_ , he noticed his favorite person wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Where was Akira? This was his party, it was odd he wasn’t here yet. Had he gone out for supplies?

Unfortunately for him, Ann caught his eye with a knowing smirk. Oh no. 

“I know that look! You’re looking for someone. And I think I know who.”

He’d opened his mouth to deny her assumption when he was interrupted by the Green Featherman sneaking up behind him. Since when did he let that happen!? He must be getting too comfortable around these people.

“Kekeke! Akira is upstairs finishing his costume. It has to be perfect, after all! I think he wants to impress someone.”

“I think he could use some help! It’s been awhile… Go check on him, Goro!”

Since when was he okay with Ann calling him by his given name? And what the hell were these girls planning? And why was he going along with it? 

His feet carried him up the stairs to the attic. This would be a disaster, he could feel it. 

He was right. Before he could even announce he was up there to see Akira, the black haired male noticed Goro and _squeaked_. He made some sort of embarrassed sound and tried to cover his… dress?

 _Oh._ That explains the embarrassment.

Akira was dressed in a gothic style, dark dress with a slightly curled wig that matched his natural hair color. To complement the aesthetic, he wore red high heels over black stockings. It may not have been historically accurate, but Goro could admit he looked damn good in it. 

To finish off the look, Akira had simple makeup on. Mascara and eyeliner to accent his eyes, which weren’t hidden behind glasses for once, and dark lipstick to accentuate his… _fangs_. 

Akira had fake fangs, which meant he was supposed to be some sort of vampire queen. 

Which means that they matched costumes right now, like they were a couple or something. 

Before Goro could have his daily crisis over how attractive Akira was, the boy came over to him, almost shyly, and poked his cheek.

“We had the same idea, huh? Matching vampires!”

“Y- yeah. Matching.” 

Akira stared at him with a shy, cute look on his face as he nervously played with his wig. He was usually more confident than this. Beside the dress thing, Goro couldn’t think of any reason why Akira was shuffling on his feet and biting his lip.

“You… look good, though?”

“Was that a question, Goro?”

“No? I mean- No! You look great, Akira. Amazing...”

 _Absolutely stunning. Beautiful. Mystic. Perfect._ Hundreds of words ran through his head on how he could describe Akira in that moment, and none seemed to truly fit how he felt. He didn’t like that. He _always_ knew what to say, could smooth talk his way through anything. He wasn’t prepared for being speechless by a pretty boy he happened to be in love with. 

“Well thank you. You happen to look amazing too, hun.”

He sounded confident enough, and if Goro was less observant, he'd say Akira was back to his normal self. But even the flirty nickname and confident words couldn’t distract him from how nervous Akira clearly still was. He had something planned. He was right about that from the beginning. But if Akira was nervous about it to the point of pulling his hair, this wasn’t a prank like Goro thought.

He pulled Akira’s hands away from his hair. Even if it was a wig, if he kept pulling like that he’d reach his real hair eventually, and Goro didn’t like the idea of him hurting himself. 

“Akira… you know you can’t fool me. Why are you shaking and acting all nervous? Are you alright?” He didn’t even try to hide the concern in his voice. He had grown better presenting his true feelings to people he trusted as much as he did the boy in front of him. 

“I should’ve known you’d see right through me... Alright. Okay, uhm...” 

He hesitated slightly, before pointing up to the ceiling. 

“I had a prank planned… with that up there. Like... ’ _haha I mixed up holidays you owe me a kiss now._ ’ But… I decided I… actually wanted to kiss you. And then you came upstairs and it was too late to back out.” 

Goro was lost. He looked up and saw mistletoe hanging from the ceiling above where they stood. It was decorated with mini skulls to match the actual holiday, but it was clearly still mistletoe.

Akira said he hadn’t wanted it to be a prank… because he actually wanted to kiss him? That took more time to unpack. As he thought about it, Akira’s brow was tinged with worry.

Goro was usually great with words, but around Akira, he sucked. 

Instead of responding with some eloquent thought to reassure Akira, he pulled him into a kiss instead. 

Hopefully that got the point across. 

_Present: February_

Goro smiled at the memories. He turned around in Akira’s lap so he was more comfortable when he leaned in for a kiss. The surprised sounds Akira made before returning the kiss had Goro smile grow. He’d never get tired of moments like this. It was perfect every time.

What was less perfect was the clacking of claws running towards the couple and a weight landing between them. Goro had to quickly cling onto the _dog_ to keep from falling off Akira’s lap, the pooch thankfully strong enough to hold him in place.

He couldn't even bring himself to scold the huge pitbull sitting on their laps. This happened nearly every day, after all. Goro had accidentally trained his “bully” breed dog to be a lap-dog, and trying to fix that now was too much of a headache. 

“I guess Meowmie got tired of being a third wheel?”

Goro tried to hide his snort as he burst out laughing, burying his head in the dog’s scruff. The overgrown puppy didn’t seem to mind. He got his demand for attention across by licking Akira’s face and putting a paw on his chest. 

Goro rolled his eyes, but couldn’t resist the puppy dog eyes from his four-legged roommate. Meowmie, contrary to his name, was barking happily and almost rolled off the chair they were in. 

A few seconds later, he and Goro were sliding off of Akira’s lap, ending up in a pile on the floor. Goro found himself dazed, but the dog stood up and shook it off before going back to nuzzle his owner. The pets stop for nothing, obviously. 

Always one to please, at least to the ones he actually cared about, Goro went back to petting his dog. He was so distracted that he didn’t notice his boyfriend pulling out his camera, alerted only when the click and flash had already gone off. It had caught him off guard with a gentle smile on his face as he gave his dog attention. 

“Ah-! Akira, what the hell!?”

“Sorry, babe. I just… you’re even more beautiful when you smile like that. I needed a picture.”

Goro was at a loss for words, something that had come to be common around Akira. 

“I still remember when you got that dog as a little puppy. The bright smile you had that day is something I’ll never forget!”

“Stop-”

“You were so happy, finally doing something you’d wanted for yourself for so long. And you deserved it! I think you and Meowmie really needed each other.”

If Goro ranted in his head about how pretty Akira was and how much he loved him, Akira did the same -- except, he spoke them aloud, where everyone could hear him.

He had a point, Goro thought as he looked at the happy dog next to him. Getting the puppy back then had been one of his best decisions.

_Past: December_

This was either going to be the best decision he’s ever made, or the worst one. Goro knew he was impulsive. It had only gotten worse since he started dating Akira. His boyfriend was a bad influence.

Goro went to a pet store. He was shopping for a surprise for Morgana, Akira’s cat. It was meant to be a peace offering, since the cat seemed to dislike him. If Morgana could talk, he was sure he’d receive trash talking from the cat. 

Goro had no clue what to even buy for a cat, however. He tried to think about what Akira gave Morgana when they hung out, but all he recalled was sushi and cardboard boxes. He headed over to the cat aisles to try and get _some_ inspiration. Maybe an employee could give him some advice.

Besides the regular cat supplies, cat food, litter, bowls, fancy water machines, and litter boxes, there was much more than Goro had anticipated. What the _hell_ was catnip? And what did all these toys do? 

Apparently, some people even put harnesses on their cats and walk them!

Goro was completely lost, but fortunately there actually was an employee stocking the aisle he was in. Swallowing his pride, he walked over to ask for help. 

He was given basic advice, since the employee hadn’t met the cat personally, but he was grateful anyway. Toys that cats could bat around the house, especially those with catnip (which apparently made them high or something), seemed to always be popular.

“If you want to be more extreme though, we have cats for adoption over near the grooming center! It’s adoption day for cats and dogs of all ages!”

That seemed _too_ extreme for a peace offering gift, but Goro couldn’t deny he was curious, so he asked for more information.

A shelter had brought in some cats and dogs to help them get adopted before Christmas, and Goro made the mistake of going over to look. He had no intention of getting a pet. Having Akira over with Morgana was plenty for him. 

That plan went fine, at first. The cats and dogs were cute -- they’re animals, of _course_ they’re cute -- but none of them really peaked his interest. Just as he was going to walk away to get back to shopping, a puppy over in the corner with a shelter worker caught his eye. 

It was isolated from other dogs and even potential adopters. Goro didn’t understand at first, until he recognised its breed: purebred pitbull. He’d come across the rumours and bad reputation the breed earned during his time as a detective, which he never truly understood. Looking at it logically, any dog could be bad, it depended on who raised them. 

Goro realized this shelter wanted this dog to have a good home, but knew the other dogs had a better chance at finding their permanent families, so they kept him away from the others. It was likely this puppy would either grow up alone in a shelter, or find a horrid home and end up as a stereotype. 

Twenty minutes later, he had a crate and was taking the puppy home. The paperwork was easy to fill out, except he had to come up with a name for this dog on the spot. He hadn’t exactly planned on getting a dog, so names weren’t even running through his head. Then a cat meowed.

His reasoning was that a cute, funny name would help downplay the stereotype around Pitbull Terriers. It would make people do a double take, seeing such a “scary” dog with an adorable name. The _actual_ reason was that a cat meowed at just the right time, and he was uncreative. 

He brought home Meowmie the pitbull puppy that day. With him came the usual puppy supplies, some bought by the shelter employees as a thank you for adopting the dog. And, surprisingly, he didn’t forget the peace gift he wanted for Morgana. He bought quite a few treats, figuring he’d need to spoil the cat, especially after bringing home a dog. 

The realization of what he had done finally crept up on him as he walked through the door of his home. He had no idea how to take care of _himself_ , let alone a new puppy! He needed help with this. He had all the supplies necessary according to the store, but having another set of hands, a set that knew what they were doing, would be helpful.

So he called Akira, the only person he knew who had raised an animal. 

When Akira showed up, Meowmie had made his way to the bedroom, playing with the toys Goro had bought. He was distracted for now, allowing Goro to explain what he had done to his boyfriend.

“You said you needed help with something?”

“Yes! Now, uh… before I show you, please don’t judge me too hard?”

“Love, what did you do?”

Meowmie galloped into the living room at the foreign sound of Akira’s voice. He barked with the toy in his mouth, his attention solely on Akira. The black haired boy could only stare at the tiny creature at his feet, trying to process before he said anything.

“Babe. I love you, but _what the hell_?”

“No cursing in front of the dog!”

“He’s not a baby!”

“He very much is! Now, help me!”

Taking care of a cat is much easier than a dog, at least in Goro’s opinion. He had newfound respect for the shelter workers now. Puppies were chaotic. Within an hour of attempting to drain his energy and get him semi-trained, Meowmie had instead drained _their_ energy and tore up a couch cushion. 

Goro sat defeated on the floor next to the brutalized cushion’s remains. Akira was standing above him, panting from chasing Meowmie across the apartment floor when he had escaped. 

He had underestimated the amount of work it would take to train a dog, but Goro Akechi never backed down from a challenge! Especially when said “challenge” decided now to curl up in his lap and take a nap. 

Seeing the content look on his puppy’s face strengthened his resolve. He would train this dog and raise it, both because he was falling in love with him, and also to prove a point. Goro Akechi was also petty, but at least this time his pettiness led to him saving this dog’s life.

He heard the click of a camera, and looked up from where he was smiling down at the dog. “Huh...?”

Akira had taken a picture of him and Meowmie. He wanted to pout and complain, but he couldn’t find the will. He knew the puppy looked adorable, and Akira hadn’t missed an opportunity to say how pretty he thought Goro was. Instead, he sighed and rolled his eyes at his boyfriend.

“At the rate you take pictures, we’re going to need a scrapbook.”

_Present: February_

Reminiscing was great and all, but nothing beat the present. Here he was, curled up on the floor with his overgrown puppy, boyfriend hugging his back and petting his newly pastel hair. Nothing could be better than this. He felt warm and loved, and as he turned his head to see the bright smile on Akira’s face, he knew that was the intention. 

He attempted to give Akira a kiss, but from the awkward angel and his dog anchoring him in place, it was more of a soft headbutt. They paused, looked at each other, and a little _huff_ from Meowmie had them both bursting into giggles. It quickly grew into laughter, possibly snorting, their bodies piled on the floor. It was the perfect scenario, completed with Meowmie’s confused barking. 

After calming down from his laughing fit, and denying any snorting Akira accused him of, Goro moved to lie on his back. He stared up at the ceiling with a content smile, Meowmie laying his head on his chest. Akira was taking yet another photo, but Goro didn’t mind this time. He was happy.

Looking back on his life, what he had to go through to get here, he never imagined he could be this happy. A stupid little prank war he started out of spite led to the best things in his life, and he could almost laugh at the irony.

The first time he let his guard down and let himself have friends and have fun, he ended up with a boyfriend he loves, and a huge puppy. He worked so hard to keep up his detective image so everyone would love him, so people would want him around. Instead, he got the most important thing when he finally stopped and let him be himself. 

He was laughing all over again. It was funny that all the work was for nothing. He didn’t mind, though. Looking up at Akira, who was looking down at him with a small, content smile He knew his life was turning around for the better. 

His contentment only lasted a moment longer, interrupted by a meow that preempted a sudden furry weight on his face. Goro sighed as Meowmie started licking the cat. He wasn’t even surprised at this point. 

“Was Morgana here the whole time?”

“He ran off to play with Meowmie when I got here.”

“Do you bring that cat _everywhere_?”

“I haven’t been caught yet!”

Not the question he’d asked, but he supposed it was a credible answer. He couldn’t really judge anyway, since he tries to bring Meowmie anywhere he physically can. -- which isn’t many places, since his dog is huge and constantly wants everyone’s attention.

The entire situation he was in was absurd, especially when compared to his past. Today he had accepted new pastel hair, boyfriend cuddles, and watching a huge pitbull terrier lick at a cat. It seemed every five minutes, a new crazy thing happened. He had just learned to accept it now. Honestly, he should have known his life would never be calm again when he realized his crush was a boy who liked to pull silly pranks and carried a cat everywhere.

As he was about to speak up, trying to get Akira’s attention, his boyfriend squeaked excitedly. Goro laughed at the cute sound and stood, looking out the window Akira was staring through.

“Look, look! It’s snowing again! Come on, the park isn’t very far away, love!”

“...you know what? Sure, let’s go.”

Playing in the snow wasn’t the worst idea Akira had ever had. He had dreaded it the first time, snow was never his favorite weather, but it ended but being a lot of fun. He smiled and hooked up Meowmie to his harness while Morgana was put into Akira’s little bag. Snow date time it was.

_Past: January_

The cold sucked. Winter never bothered Goro too much since he stayed inside, focusing on his work. Now, he had friends who dragged him outside to go shopping or look at pretty lights. Oh, and his dog, too. He had a dog to walk. 

He bundled up in the biggest coat he could find, a scarf, gloves and a fluffy hat Ann gave him, just so he could take his spoiled dog out on a walk in the snow. On the bright side, he was meeting Akira and his cat at the park for a nice snow date. If anything in the snow could be nice, that is. 

His shoes became soaked as he trudged through the snow. Irritation welled in his chest at the sensation. Meowmie tried to make him feel better though, rubbing against his legs and making soft noises with a cute almost smile on his face. He was a good dog. The best dog. This dog was the only reason he was even out in this godforsaken weather -- _he better be happy, dammit_!

When he reached the park, he realized the snow can’t be that bad if he got to see Akira all bundled up and looking adorable. As observant as his boyfriend was, he was currently distracted with entertaining Morgana. So, if Goro wanted, he could sneak up and surprise him. Meowmie looked up at him and they both agreed: _it was prank time_.

Keeping a good distance, Goro snuck up behind Akira. Bundling snow into his gloved hands was more difficult than it looked on television -- especially when he couldn't feel anything through the soft fabric. But he was determined, and in his head Meowmie was cheering him on. 

Content with the lop-sided snowball he’d made, Goro lobbed it toward the back of Akira’s head with marksman-like accuracy. Whoosh! Splat!

With a tiny, squeaky noise, Akira turned suddenly, almost dropping his cat in the process. When turned, Akira saw his boyfriend laughing at the noise he made and the funny look on his face. Apparently, that was enough for him to retaliate. Before Goro could react, a snowball was thrown at his face.

Oh, _it’s on!_

A snowball fight ensued between the two boyfriends. Meanwhile, Meowmie and Morgana dug holes into the snow behind them. It wasn’t until Morgana almost buried himself in a huge snow pile did Akira and Goro sit in the snow to relax. He didn’t think it was possible to work up a sweat in the cold like this, especially not while being pummeled with frozen water.

Meowmie laid his head in Goro’s lap, as Goro laid his head on Akira’s shoulder. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other, content to sit there and cuddle together as their adrenaline wore off. When one of them started shivering, it was hard to tell who, with how close they sat, was when they got up and headed back to Leblanc. Since, of course, it was closer than Goro’s apartment, and more comfy.

Once they got back, Akira went into ‘cute barista’ mode and made hot cocoa. 

Goro burst out laughing. He knew it looked odd, guessing by the perplexed look Akira gave him. After calming down in a minute he explained.

“I was complaining about how much I hated winter, and yet... that was the most fun I’ve had in awhile. You never cease to amaze me.”

“Aww babe, I can make anything fun!”

“Even English homework?”

“ _Almost_ anything.”

More laughter, this time with Akira joining in. Goro relaxed in the booth with his dog and step-cat. His boyfriend soon joined him and some hot cocoa, perfect after being pelted with snow. 

What wasn’t perfect was Akira putting whipped cream on his mouth and then kissing Goro’s cheek. His boyfriend was absolutely ridiculous -- this would be a mess to clean up! Though, as he saw how happy Akira looked as he burst out laughing, even snorting a bit, Goro couldn’t help but admit maybe cleaning up wouldn't be so bad…

And winter wasn’t so bad, either.

_Present: February_

A month later, he was still enjoying the season he once hated so much. He was laying in the snow, patches of white smattered across his jacket after making a snow “angel” next to Meowmie. Akira had said it wasn’t an angel since he was the one making it. Rude.

Thinking about that statement, he sent Meowmie over to ruin Akira’s own snow angel. Even in his head he couldn’t _not_ call Akira his angel, so his only way to insult the creation was to use his dog to ensure its destruction. 

Some screeching and arguing with an animal later, the snow angel is destroyed and Goro is laughing hysterically. Of course, even as boyfriends, the rivalry never ends: as Goro laughed, a snowball splattered against his face 

Here they go again.

He could get used to this. He could get used to Akira and Morgana being around all the time. They basically lived together anyway, if it were permanent he’d enjoy it all the more.

Come to think of it, Akira’s probation was almost up anyway. And he had already said he wasn’t going home, he wanted to finish school here in Tokyo. Boss was already willing to let him stay in the attic if he couldn't find his own place, but why live on his own when he has other options?

His lovesick internal ramblings were broken when he was pelted by more snowballs, and he fell to the ground, only to get covered in more snow. Akira panicked and ran over, but he found Goro laughing like crazy. 

“Babe, what the hell?”

“Nothing, nothing…” Goro’s laughter subsided. “But I do have a question for you.”

“Huh?”

_A couple years later_

“Is this really necessary, Ann?”

“If you’re going to repeat a costume, you gotta improve it! And make-up is the way to do that!”

“I trust you, but this seems excessive.”

“Shh. It’s going to be great, Goro-chan!”

Halloween parties had become a tradition for the group of friends. Even when the majority of them were in university, they made time to meet up every October for their costume party. This year, Ann had insisted on helping Goro with his costume, so they met a few hours earlier to do each other’s hair and make-up.

Goro had become the group's hair stylist ever since the pastel hair incident. He had taught himself how to properly color and style hair, even learned to do some simple cuts. It was something he was proud of, something he had decided to do himself instead of being concerned about his reputation. He was proud of the cases he had solved in the past, but this was something new he truly enjoyed. Akira fully supported him, allowing him to experiment on his hair from time to time.

Akira and Ann had convinced him to go to study the profession. He always felt pressured about what to pick for university, believing he had to stick with his detective work to impress the masses and stay relevant. He knew that wasn’t the case now, and he was happy to follow a dream he didn’t even know he had. 

He had even decided to keep his pastel hair, sort of. They were pastel highlights in his natural hair color, he couldn’t quite bring himself to give up that color. It reminded him of his mother, and now when he looked in the mirror he saw a young man he knew his mom could be proud of. 

Looking in the mirror after Ann had done his makeup and he’d put in his fake fangs, he couldn’t help the huge smile on his face. The make-up his best friend had done, the hair he was proud of, and the costume he and Akira had picked out. It was a combination by so many important people in his life, and he didn’t think it was possible to be happier than he already was. 

While he was staring at the mirror, a large dog with cat ears on his head came running up to him with a happy wagging tail. Even Meowmie had joined in their Halloween tradition, dressing up as his namesake: a cute cat. If he could learn to meow, he would have, but unfortunately dogs are incapable of meowing.

Ann approached them, her hair curled and rolling down her back. She looked absolutely beautiful, her dancer costume stunning. He couldn’t wait to see what her girlfriend and boyfriend looked like. She, Shiho, and Ryuji always did matching costumes like Goro and Akira did. 

Ann did a little dance in the mirror, and Goro burst out laughing. She was having too much fun with this group costume idea. After a minute, he rolled his eyes and moved to put Meowmie’s harness on him. It was time to get going and meet up with the others at Kitty Rose Cafe -- Akira and Haru’s new cafe.

It wasn’t quite a cat cafe, but employees were allowed to bring their cats to work and they could hang out. Goro had a similar idea for the hair salon he was currently having built next door, Rose's Thorn Salon. Yes, he had a matching name to Akira, it was a surprise for when it opened. He would let Meowmie hang around, and he would turn down customers who were mean to his precious dog.

Thinking about his new salon made him excited all over again. He was so grateful to Haru for offering to help pay for construction and decoration. He wasn’t used to accepting help yet still, but Haru had insisted. It’ll be finished and open for business about the time he graduates from university, perfect timing. 

Caught up in his head again, Ann had to drag him and Meowmie to the door. Right, they couldn’t be late. Akira said he had a surprise for everyone tonight. He had a feeling it was mostly for him, but Goro was excited anyway. 

Away they went, it was party time!

Despite Goro spending way too long on their hair, they weren’t the last ones to arrive. Akira and Futaba weren’t there yet, and Goro assumed it had something to do with the surprise he had planned for tonight.

As soon as the door to the cafe had been opened, two cats and a puppy came running towards them. Meowmie immediately ran off to play with Morgana, who was here without his owner, and the large Persian cat immediately started climbing up Ann’s leg. 

Milady, the Persian, was Haru’s cat she had adopted from a shelter with Akira. She had been brought in after the owner discovered medical issues, namely, many upper respiratory infections and a limp in her front leg that couldn’t be fixed. The shelter had told them the past owner had dropped off the cat claiming he didn’t want anything but a show quality cat. It was selfish, but at least Milady had a proper home with a loving owner now.

Haru had taken in the precious cat, giving her an adorable name and spoiling her. Apparently their group had a thing for rescuing animals without any prior planning. 

While Ann was holding Milady, the puppy was trying to make Goro hold him. This little puppy was a Golden Retriever named Furiel -- Ryuji’s little baby. Goro hadn’t been fond of Ryuji when they’d first met, but since he was Akira’s best friend, they had hung out more often over the past years. Now, he was the dog-sitter for his puppy.. They’d bonded over dogs and how much they cared about Akira and Ann.

The party couldn’t begin until the Sakura siblings showed up, so now was just time to play with everyone’s pets, apparently. Ryuji was playing with Meowmie, so they had traded dogs for the moment. Ann was catnapping Milady, and Shiho was chasing Morgana around the dining room.

It was chaos. It was normal for them. 

The chaos was just beginning. A random song began playing through the cafe -- one most of them recognized immediately.

“Who hijacked the speakers, and why are they Rickrolling us?” Haru asked. Akira burst through the door with Futaba cackling as she trailed behind him. The group sighed collectively. They should have expected something like this from the Sakura siblings.

“Akira, I’m not even surprised anymore. Was that absolutely necessary?”

“Why, yes, of course it was.”

“Understood. Can we eat now?”

They all sat around the dining room, their pets finally relaxing. Haru served everyone dinner. It was delicious, as per usual -- Akira and Haru had made it after all.

Goro loved home cooked meals. Until moving in with Akira, he hadn’t had one since his mom had died. Now he had one almost every day. His boyfriend loved cooking for him and his friends, and Goro really appreciated it. 

Honestly, Goro appreciated _everything_ Akira did for him. His life had become so much better since meeting him. And once they got together, it was like everything fell into place. This was where he was meant to be. With Akira, with his dog, with all their friends; this was everything he had wanted.

Goro was good at getting caught up in his head, and he was only pulled out when a cat screeched from a back room. Apparently after eating, Futaba had run off with Morgana and was doing _something_ to that poor cat. 

Goro decided he was not getting involved in that, Morgana could deal with things on his own, he was a smart cat. Besides, Meowmie was already on the way to save the day, he recognized his best friend’s mewls from any distance.

A few moments later, Meowmie, Morgana, and Futaba were running from the back room, barks, screeches, and laughter following them. He still had no idea what was happening, but he could admit it was hilarious from an outside perspective.

As soon as Morgana appeared, Akira started looking a little nervous. He was pulling at his curls and Goro could’ve sworn he was starting to sweat. This must have something to do with his surprise, but he had no idea how. He couldn’t put his finger on the last time Akira was this nervous about anything either.

As he was contemplating and eating dessert, Morgana ran up to him and started nuzzling his leg. Futaba must have put this cat up to something, he just didn’t know what yet. He tried ignoring the meows and headbutts, wanting to enjoy the pie on his plate, Morgana was nothing if not insistent. 

A couple bites later, since Goro was just as stubborn, he finally picked up the meowing cat. Tied on his collar was a small velvet blue box. So, that’s what Futaba was doing... but it didn’t explain why. He had long since given up trying to determine what went on in the younger Sakura’s head, so he opened up the box without any questions.

It was a piece of mistletoe. It was… the same piece of mistletoe from all those years ago. 

That was the last time he had seen Akira look nervous. 

Everyone was staring at him, and despite the anxiety caused by being watched, he needed some answers. He turned his head to Akira, to ask why he was given a piece of mistletoe, only to be interrupted by a kiss.

Suddenly, it was like he wasn’t being watched anymore. It was only him and his lover, and perhaps the cat still in his lap.

Everyone staring came back into focus when he pulled back from the kiss.

Goro’s face was red from the kiss anyway, so it was easier to hide his embarrassment of the stares. He still had questions, though. He swallowed nervously, gripping the mistletoe tightly.

“Kira… I’m not complaining, but most people do not give gifts on Halloween…”

“Aw, come on, love.It _is_ technically our anniversary, after all. At least, our _first kiss_ anniversary...”

“Technicalities… technicalities… Jeez… I love you, ya dork.”

“I love you too, Goro Akechi…”

Goro didn’t say anything, but based on _how_ Akira had said his name, he could theorise that his boyfriend might have another trick up his sleeve. Unfortunately, it was going to have to wait for at least a minute longer, since while Akira’s pet was in on the “prank”, Goro’s pet was not. 

When Meowmie saw Goro sputtering and blushing, he jumped onto his lap as Akira pulled away from the kiss. Now, everything in this new cafe was top notch and high quality, but even the best chairs could not handle a grown man and large Pitbull Terrier at the same time.

The chair cracked under the pressure and sent them both tumbling to the ground, Goro clinging to his dog for dear life as he definitely did _not_ scream.

There was some laughter, sure, but everyone in the room seemed mostly worried. Akira quickly helped Goro off the ground, making sure he hadn’t gotten any splinters from the broken chair. As the shock wore off, Goro laughed, rolling his eyes as he playfully shoving Meowmie out of the way.

“I have a feeling this is _not_ how you intended this to go?”

“Ah… what do you mean?”

“Kira, I’m not stupid. You had something planned with all this, and my dumb, amazing, but _dumb_ dog messed it up. Am I wrong?”

“Well… I mean… This isn’t how I intended it, but I wouldn’t say it was _messed up_.”

“Huh-”

Goro barely had time to think, let alone respond. Akira dragged him away from the rubble left by the chair and kneeled down to the ground.

His mind had gone blank. Why was Akira on the ground? What was happening? Why was everyone staring intently at them? Why was-

Akira had pulled out a duplicate box, it looked exactly the same as the one the mistletoe had been on. He was shaking and pulling at his curls, the exact same way he had been that night when they first kissed.

Once the box was open, a small simple ring band with black stones shone up from it. Goro still had no words, stuttering and watching with tear filled eyes.

“I knew you wouldn’t want anything big… but I couldn’t resist at least a _small_ prank… Ahem- anyway.”

Akira took a deep breath and finally looked up at Goro, a shaky smile on his face.

“Goro Akechi, you can yell at me for being cheesy all you want, but you’re the love of my life. I probably knew it the moment I saw you, and it was confirmed when you first kissed me. I love you so much and I’d be honored if you would spend the rest of your life with me… So… Will you marry me?”

And just like that night all those years ago, Goro was speechless. But this time, he was crying and shaking as much as Akira. He fell to the ground by Akira and clung to him like his life depended on it, gripping his costume so tightly it might have ripped. 

Only one word kept repeating through his head, thankfully one that didn’t require _too_ much thought.

“Yes! God damn it..yes you asshole! I can’t believe you…”

Akira slipped the ring on his finger, a wide smile spreading on his face as the tears kept on falling.

“Goro..”

“I love you too… so much… Dammit how dare you make me cry in front of everyone!”

“Hey, I’m crying too! I’m… I’m so happy…”

It was perfect. Despite things going a little haywire, this moment was perfect. Goro never thought he’d experience happiness like this, he didn’t think he deserved it. Still crying, but relaxing into Akira’s arms, he sighed softly.

“Mama… can you see me now?”

He hoped she was watching over him, watching her son get everything he truly did deserve. He was happy.

Moments can’t be perfect forever though, especially not when you have a protective dog who doesn’t like hearing you cry. Just as Goro was starting to relax, he and Akira were tackled by Meowmie. He was barking at them and licking Goro’s face, as if to comfort him.

That barking caused _more_ barking from Furiel, while Milady ran from the noise and knocked things off the counter. The quiet moment was over, and all that was left was chaos and probably some screaming.

Goro started laughing, nuzzling his face into Meowmie as he grabbed Akira's hand.

It was absolutely _perfect_.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the amazing art my partners made for this fic! They’re both so cute,,   
> https://twitter.com/maruitenshi/status/1353238409163272200?s=21   
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CKa-q4VJKTN/?igshid=oybdcu6v3n8g


End file.
